Eclipse on the UWS

As I was listening to all of the preparatory hype about today's eclipse I remembered the total eclipse of 1970. Before that eclipse, my baby sitter, Mrs. Dee, told me how in getting ready for the 1918 total eclipse she and her family smoked panes of glass to prepare to see the eclipse.


I hadn't smoked glass, nor did I get a pair of eclipse glasses. I went downstairs at the start of the eclipse to see if I could see it from the street. I met two of my neighbors and they both had eclipse glasses that they were happy to share.  If you stood on the front steps of my building wearing the eclipse glasses you got an amazing view. Our neighbors kept inviting neighbors and building staff members to try the glasses.
While things looked pretty much the same without the glasses as each person looked at the sun in their eclipse glasses they each said "Oh! WOW!"







Shadows just looked different.


We then walked to Riverside Park with stops to admire the eclipse as we walked.

We were not the only people in the park to watch the eclipse.

























On the way back from the park we passed this family. Abuelita decided to use the steamer insert from her pot as her eclipse viewer. I told her how impressed I was with her viewer. Her son translated for both of us.


Shadows were just odd.
Crowds were gathered at each corner to look at the eclipse.







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